FDA Approves Obesity-Fighting Device That Drains Food From Stomach

The system hooks up to a thin tube implanted in the stomach. The device then rids the body of about 30 percent of the consumed food before it can be fully digested. In other FDA news, the agency will allow folic acid to be added to corn masa flour, an effort to reduce birth defects in the Latino community.

A new weight loss device offers a novel approach to cutting calories: draining them from the stomach before they are fully digested. The AspireAssist system consists of a thin tube implanted in the stomach, connecting to an outside port on the skin of the belly. (Perrone, 6/14)

A weight-loss device lampooned on late-night TV as "machine-assisted abdominal vomiting" because it allows users to drain some of their stomach contents after eating has won federal approval. (Giordano, 6/15)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has agreed to let folic acid be added to corn masa flour, a change expected to spare Hispanic babies from devastating birth defects - and a change that some advocates say is long overdue. (McCullough, 6/15)

This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.

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